The present invention is directed to doors that are pre-hung on door jamb assemblies and, in particular, to a door plug to maintain the door in a fixed, closed position relative to the door jamb assembly during shipping, delivery, and/or installation.
Doors are often supplied for use in the building industry as pre-hung door assemblies. Such an assembly typically includes a door and a door jamb assembly. The door jamb assembly is composed of two vertical side jambs, a hinge jamb and a strike jamb, and a header fitted across the top between the two side jambs. The door jamb assembly may also include a sill member fitted across the bottom between the two side jambs. The hinge jam is typically machined to accommodate two or three hinges which connect the door to the hinge jamb. The strike jamb is typically machined to accept a striker plate and milled to create a strike bore to accept a latch bolt. The door is also machined to accept a lock set via the milling of a face bore and an edge bore in the body of the door. Hinges are installed to attach the door to the hinge jamb, but the door is typically not fitted with the knobs, striker plates, latch, or other hardware.
Because the door is attached to the door jamb assembly at one edge by the hinges without any restraining latch hardware installed at an opposite edge, the door is free to swing in and out of the door jamb assembly. When the door is allowed to move relative to the door jamb assembly, the door is likely to rub against the strike jamb causing damage to both the door and the strike jamb. It is desirable, therefore, to secure the door in a closed position relative to the door jamb assembly to inhibit damaging the door and the door jamb assembly and to reduce any difficulties associated with handling an unsecured door during shipping, delivery, and installation.
Several known methods have been employed to fix the door in a closed position relative to the door jamb assembly for shipping, delivery, and/or installation. One common method is to drive a nail through the strike jamb and into the edge of the door. Another common method is to nail or staple plastic straps or inserts to the door and the door jamb. These types of methods are undesirable because such nails or staples must be removed prior to installation of the door assembly leaving holes in the door and the strike jamb that later must be filled, sanded, and finished. Because the nails or staples must be removed prior to installation of the door assembly, manufacturers who use such methods rarely square the door in the door jamb assembly prior to shipping the door assembly from the manufacturing facility. Once the nails or staples are removed at the construction site, the door must be squared in the door jamb assembly by an installer. The process of squaring the door in the door jamb assembly is time consuming for the installer and typically requires more than one person to complete. Additionally, the nails or staples may occasionally cause the strike jamb or the edge of the door to split.
Other retaining devices have been provided to fix the door in a closed position relative to the door jamb assembly during shipping, delivery, and/or installation. These devices eliminate the holes in the door and door jamb assembly that must be repaired at the construction site. However, most of these devices have parts that must be screwed together at the manufacturing facility prior to shipping the door assembly. This step requires additional labor and manufacturing time. Thus, there remains a need for a device to secure the door in a closed position relative to the door jamb assembly which may be installed quickly at the door assembly manufacturing facility.